Mail-box cover-actuated switch



1,630,081 May 1927' A. FLEKSTEIN MAIL BOX COVER ACTUATED SWITCH Filed April 12, 1926 H05 Flak @1110: not;

Patented May 24, 1927.

UNITED STATES ANTON FLEKSTEIN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

MAIL-BOX COVER-ACTUATED SWITCH.

Application filed April 12, 1926. Serial No. 101,304.

It is an object of this invention to provide a mail box cover actuated switch having spring contacts so positioned thereon that when the cover is opened it will strike them thereby closing an electric circuit. And further the arrangement of the spring contacts is such that when the cover is released after-having been swung upwards against the contacts, the spring vof the latter will. cause the cover to swing back into closed position thereby breaking the circuit again.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent as the specification proceeds, the invention, which consists in certain novel construction and combination of parts, is hereinafter more particularly de scribed with the aid of the accompanying drawings and claimed.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view shown as a section on the line 22 of Figure l, in which the usual form of wiring is also shown.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure l is a plan View.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a mail box having ahinged cover 2. The'back 3 of the box is provided with a vertical recess 3 to receive the insulating block 4. Between the back of the vertical recess and the insulating block one end of each of the spring contacts 5 and 6 are held; These contacts are insulated from their ends to points 5 and 6 substantially centrally of their length the contacts are bent back on themselves as shown at 5 and 6 and their opposite ends 5 and 6 take into openings 7 and 8 provided in the upper surface of the insulating block 4:.

The contacts 5 and 6 are connected to leads 9 and 10, the latter lead is also con nected to the bell terminal 11, and the former lead 9 terminates at its opposite end in one terminal 12 of the source of power. The second bell terminal 13 is connected to the other terminal 14 of the source of power 15 by the wire 16. The switch 17 indicates the usual push button placed outside a house,

this is wired to the leads 9 and 10 which are connected to the wires 9 and 10 respectively.

From the foregoing it will be clearly seen that when the cover 2 is raised into the position 2 shown in Figure 2 it makes a contact between the bent back portions 5 and 6' of the spring contacts 5 and 6 so that the bell circuit is closed. Moreover pressure exerted against these bent back portions of the spring contacts forces them rearwards, but as soon as the cover is released the spring tension of the contacts causes them to reassume their normal shape and in so doing they throw the cover 2 back into closed position.

It will be readily seen that as the mail box is usually located in close proximity to the push button for the hell that very little extra wiring is needed to wire up my mail box. Again, though the contacts 5 and 6 are shown as consisting of coiled spring members it is of course obvious that they may be otherwise constructed if preferred.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a box having a cover thereon, spring contacts on said box, each of said spring contacts having one free end, an insulating block on said box having holes therein, said spring contacts being adapted to be forced backwards by said cover when opened, and the free ends of said spring contacts being adapted to move in said openings.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a box having a longitudinal depression in its reverse side, an insulating block in said depression terminating substantially flush with the top of said box and having openings therein, spring contacts held between said reverse side and said insulating block, said contacts being bent rearwardly and having free ends adapted to move in said openings, and a cover hinged on said box adapted to open against the rearwardly bent portions of said contacts to form a connection between the latter.

ANTON FLEKSTEIN. 

